Nikolai Rostov is the son of Count Ilya Ilyich Rostov, an officer, a man of honor. At the beginning of the novel, Nikolai leaves the university and goes to serve in the Pavlograd hussar regiment. He was distinguished by courage and courage, although in the Shengraben battle he, having no idea of \u200b\u200bthe war, rushes too bravely into the attack, therefore, seeing a Frenchman in front of him, throws a weapon at him and rushes to run, as a result of which he is wounded in the arm. But this episode does not speak of his cowardice, just in the face of danger, Nikolai could not make a decision. In all further battles, he showed himself heroically, for which he was awarded the St. George Cross. The war tempered him very much and he became a real hussar, loyal to his country and remaining loyal to the sovereign.

Rostov was a noble and selfless person. Nicholas fell in love with Princess Mary, but could not break his word to Sonya that he would marry her, and although his parents were against it, since they wanted him to find a rich bride, he still decided to marry a dowry woman. But Sonya sends him a letter in which she frees him from promises and gives him freedom. After the death of the count, Nicholas did not abandon the inheritance, but he got only debts. He believed that it was his duty to pay the bills and take care of his mother and Sonya. The Rostovs became completely impoverished, they had to sell the estate and move to live in a small apartment, the countess hints to Nikolai that the way out of the predicament is a wedding with the princess. Nikolai does not even admit such a thought: he loves Marya, but if he marries her, then in society they will say that he married for convenience, and he considers it shameful. It's good that Marya also loved him and they got married. After the wedding, Nikolai became the best owner, his estate flourished and brought in a huge income. As before, Nikolai devoted himself with all his heart to serving the country, so now he devoted himself to serving his family and household.

In his novel, Tolstoy portrayed a number of heroes. The author is not in vain presented detailed characteristic characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which whole noble families make up the reader's reflection of the people who lived during the war with Napoleon. In "War and Peace" we see the Russian spirit, features of historical events characteristic of the period of the late 18th - early 19th centuries. The greatness of the Russian soul is shown against the background of these events.

If you make a list of characters ("War and Peace"), you get about 550-600 characters in total. However, they are not all equally important to the story. "War and Peace" is a novel, the characters of which can be divided into three main groups: the main, minor characters and just mentioned in the text. Among them there are both fictional and historical personalities, as well as heroes who have prototypes among the writer's environment. This article will introduce the main characters. "War and Peace" is a work in which the Rostov family is described in detail. So let's start with her.

Ilya Andreevich Rostov

This is a count who had four children: Petya, Nikolai, Vera and Natasha. Ilya Andreevich is a very generous and kind-hearted person who loved life. As a result, his excessive generosity led to extravagance. Rostov is a loving father and husband. He is a good organizer of receptions and balls. But life is on a grand scale as well selfless help the wounded soldiers and the departure of the Russians from Moscow inflicted fatal blows on his condition. Conscience tormented Ilya Andreevich all the time because of the approaching poverty of his relatives, but he could not help himself. After the death of Petya, the youngest son, the count was broken, but revived, preparing the wedding of Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha. Count Rostov dies a few months after these characters got married. "War and Peace" (Tolstoy) is a work in which the prototype of this hero is Ilya Andreevich, Tolstoy's grandfather.

Natalia Rostova (wife of Ilya Andreevich)

This 45-year-old woman, the wife of Rostov and the mother of four children, had some oriental ones. Those around her regarded the focus of gravity and slowness in her as solidity, as well as her high importance for the family. but true reason these manners lie in a weak and emaciated physical condition due to childbirth and the strength devoted to raising children. Natalia loves her family and children very much, so the news of Petya's death almost drove her crazy. Countess Rostova, like Ilya Andreevich, loved luxury and demanded that everyone carry out her orders. In it you can find the features of Tolstoy's grandmother - Pelageya Nikolaevna.

Nikolay Rostov

This hero is the son of Ilya Andreevich. He is a loving son and brother, honors his family, but at the same time faithfully serves in the army, which is a very important and significant feature in his characterization. He often saw a second family even in his fellow soldiers. Although Nikolai was in love for a long time with Sonya, his cousin, he nevertheless marries Marya Bolkonskaya at the end of the novel. Nikolai Rostov is a very energetic man, with "open and curly hair. His love for the Russian emperor and patriotism never dried up. After going through the hardships of war, Nikolai becomes a brave and courageous hussar. He retires after the death of Ilya Andreyevich in order to improve financial position of the family, pay debts and become finally a good husband for his wife. Tolstoy introduces this hero as the prototype of his own father. As you have probably already noticed, the presence of prototypes in many heroes is characterized by the character system. "War and Peace" - a work in which the mores of the nobility are presented through the features of the family of Tolstoy, who was a count.

Natasha Rostova

This is the daughter of the Rostovs. A very emotional and energetic girl who was considered ugly, but attractive and lively. Natasha is not very smart, but at the same time she is intuitive, since she could “guess people” well, their character traits and mood. This heroine is very impetuous, prone to self-sacrifice. She dances and sings beautifully, which was at that time an important characteristic of a girl belonging to a secular society. Leo Tolstoy repeatedly emphasizes Natasha's main quality - closeness to the Russian people. She absorbed the nations and Russian culture. Natasha lives in an atmosphere of love, happiness and kindness, but after a while the girl is faced with a harsh reality. The blows of fate, as well as heartfelt experiences, make this heroine an adult and, as a result, give her true love for her husband, Pierre Bezukhov. The story of Natasha's soul rebirth deserves special respect. She began attending church after falling prey to a deceitful seducer. Natasha is a collective image, the prototype of which was Tolstoy's daughter-in-law, Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya, as well as her sister (the author's wife), Sofya Andreevna.

Vera Rostova

This heroine is the daughter of the Rostovs ("War and Peace"). The portraits of the characters created by the author are distinguished by a variety of characters. Vera, for example, was famous for her strict temper, as well as inappropriate, albeit fair, remarks that she made in society. For some unknown reason, her mother did not love her very much, and Vera felt this keenly, often going against everyone else. This girl later became the wife of Boris Drubetsky. The prototype of the heroine is Lev Nikolaevich (Elizaveta Bers).

Peter Rostov

Son of the Rostovs, still a boy. Petya, growing up, was trying to go to war as a young man, and his parents could not hold him back. He escaped from their care and decided to join Denisov's regiment. In the first battle, Petya dies, not having had time to fight. The death of his beloved son greatly crippled the family.

Sonya

With this heroine we end the description of the characters ("War and Peace") belonging to the Rostov family. Sonya, a glorious petite girl, was Ilya Andreevich's own niece and lived all her life under his roof. Love for Nikolai became fatal for her, since she did not manage to marry him. Natalya Rostova, an old countess, was against this marriage, since the lovers were cousins. Sonya acted nobly, refusing Dolokhov and deciding to love only Nikolai all her life, while freeing him from the promise given to her. She spends the rest of her life in the care of Nikolai Rostov, with the old countess.

The prototype of this heroine is Tatiana Aleksandrovna Ergolskaya, the second cousin of the writer.

Not only the Rostovs in the work are the main characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which the Bolkonsky family also plays an important role.

Nikolay Andreevich Bolkonsky

This is the father of Andrei Bolkonsky, general-in-chief in the past, in the present - a prince who has earned the nickname in Russian secular society "the Prussian king." He is socially active, strict as a father, pedantic, is a wise owner of the estate. Outwardly, this is a thin old man with thick eyebrows that loomed over intelligent and discerning eyes, in a powdered white wig. Nikolai Andreevich does not like to show his feelings even for his beloved daughter and son. He torments Marya with constant nagging. Prince Nicholas, sitting on his estate, follows the events taking place in the country, and only before his death he loses the idea of \u200b\u200bthe scale of the Russian war with Napoleon. Nikolai Sergeevich Volkonsky, the writer's grandfather, was the prototype of this prince.

Andrey Bolkonsky

This is the son of Nikolai Andreevich. He is ambitious, like his father, restrained in showing feelings, but he loves his sister and father very much. Andrey is married to Liza, "the little princess". He made a successful military career. Andrei philosophizes a lot about the meaning of life, the state of his spirit. He is in constant search. In Natasha Rostova, after the death of his wife, he found hope for himself, as he saw a real, and not fake, as in a secular society, a girl, and therefore fell in love with her. Having made an offer to this heroine, he was forced to go abroad for treatment, which became a test of their feelings. The wedding eventually fell through. Andrew went to war with Napoleon, where he was seriously wounded, as a result of which he died. Until the end of his days, Natasha devotedly looked after him.

Marya Bolkonskaya

This is Andrey's sister, the daughter of Prince Nikolay. She is very meek, ugly, but kind-hearted and, moreover, very rich. Her devotion to religion is exemplified by many as an example of meekness and kindness. Marya unforgettably loves her father, who often pesters her with his reproaches and ridicule. This girl also loves her brother. She did not immediately accept Natasha as a future daughter-in-law, since she seemed to her too frivolous for Andrei. Marya, after all the hardships, marries Nikolai Rostov.

Its prototype is Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya, Tolstoy's mother.

Pierre Bezukhov (Peter Kirillovich)

The main characters of the novel "War and Peace" would not have been listed in full, if not to mention Pierre Bezukhov. This hero plays one of the most important roles in the work. He experienced a lot of pain and mental trauma, has a noble and kind disposition. Lev Nikolaevich himself is very fond of Pierre. Bezukhov, as a friend of Andrei Bolkonsky, is very sympathetic and devoted. Despite the intrigues weaving under his nose, Pierre did not lose his trust in people, did not become embittered. By marrying Natasha, he finally found the happiness and grace that he lacked with his first wife, Helen. At the end of the work, his desire to change the political foundations in Russia is noticeable, you can even guess from a distance Pierre's Decembrist moods.

These are the main characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which a large role is assigned to such historical figures as Kutuzov and Napoleon, as well as to some other commanders-in-chief. Other social groups are also represented, in addition to the nobility (merchants, bourgeoisie, peasantry, army). The list of characters ("War and Peace") is quite impressive. However, our task is to consider only the main characters.

In literature, the presence of too ideal characters is not an isolated phenomenon. Reading the work, you understand that for all the realism of the depiction of the background of events, the historical basis and other characters, it is this hero that stands out sharply - with all the desire to find some kind of flaw in him, it becomes an unthinkable thing. The image of Nikolai Rostov appears as such a hero in the novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy.

Nikolai Rostov's appearance

The image of Nikolai Rostov is devoid of any distinctive characteristics. "Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression." He has a childishly sweet, handsome face with regular features, on which "kind and honest eyes."

He has a slender figure and graceful movement. He has the charm and coquetry of youth.

Characteristics of personal qualities

In many ways, Nikolai resembles his father - he has a cheerful disposition, sanguine by nature, he is alien to despondency and spleen.

“I don’t know how to hide what I feel,” he says about himself. Indeed, his sweet, childish face is an open book, on the pages of which you can read all his emotions and feelings.

He is quite sensible, despite his young age - "twenty years old." His soul is full of "nobility, true youth, which you meet so rarely in our age."

Nikolai is endowed with musical talent. He often sang and played with his younger sister Natalia.

He also does not sit out at balls, but willingly showed himself as a "clever dancer", causing bewilderment and admiration of the public.

With no less passion, Nikolai indulged in the hunt, which was held in high esteem by his father. After marriage, he does not give up his hobby, "leaving for a month or two to leave with his desire."

Nikolai is well versed in horses, they arouse the same interest in him as hunting.

"Rostov was a true young man, he would never deliberately tell a lie." Lying is contrary to his life principles. Over time, life taught him another principle - tact, Rostov begins to understand that the truth must be told at the right time. Incorrectly spoken phrases can cause many problems both for him personally and for those around him. So, for example, his veracity, told after the Shengraben battle to the regimental commander, dealt a significant blow to the reputation of the entire regiment.

Feelings of pride and independence are not alien to Rostov. He often rushes from one extreme to another and does not know the golden mean during disputes and discussions.

In general, Nikolai Ilyich is endowed with positive qualities - he is honest, orderly, sincere and kind.

Childhood and environment

From the point of view of biography, he is the most ordinary aristocrat. His parents also have aristocratic roots. His mother - Natalya, nee Shinshina, a kind and sweet woman, she tried to be strict with her children, but often, out of the kindness of her soul, she gave them concessions. "The Countess was a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by her children, of whom she had twelve." Despite the fact that many of her children did not survive, the Countess maintains a positive attitude, towards the end of the novel, under the influence of military events, the ruin and death of her son, she became noticeably dejected.

Nikolai's father, Ilya Andreevich Rostov, was a man of a cheerful disposition, sentimental and impressionable. He, like his wife, does not know how to economically handle his condition. It is likely that this was influenced by the fact that both spouses were from wealthy families who never had to get out of financial difficulties. Deprived of such a sad experience, they carelessly spend exorbitant money to equip their homes and to help their friends and acquaintances in a difficult situation.

In addition to Nicholas, the family brings up three more natural children of the Rostovs, the adopted daughter Sonya (who is a relative of the mother), as well as Boris and Mitya - boys from impoverished noble families, taken up by the Rostovs.

A good-natured positive atmosphere favorably influences Nikolai. Thanks to his observation and ability to draw conclusions from various situations, Nikolai manages to avoid many unpleasant situations in his personal life - contrary to the generally accepted tendency, he prefers to learn from the mistakes of others, and not from his own.

Education and military career

Regardless of the predisposition, physical data and material condition, at that time all young people tried to try on a military uniform. It was a fashion trend, and a career in any other industry was approved only if there were no other options (for example, the consequences of an injury could not allow service). Despite the fact that a military career was generally accepted for aristocrats, “despite their disgust for the civil service” of their son, the Rostovs send Nikolai to study at the university. At the age of 20, a young man abruptly changes his mind - the Russian-Austro-French war forces him to reconsider his views on duty and vocation. To everyone's horror, everyone's favorite "Nikolushka" - "an impetuous, pure young man turns into a defender of the fatherland, associated with comrades in arms by the corporate concept of honor."

At first, everyone thinks that his act is justified by the desire to keep up with his friend, Boris, who was taken as an officer, and Nikolai dissuades them: “I just feel a call to military service».

Nikolai prefers to start his service from the bottom - Rostov is far from the intricacies of military affairs, he does not want to burden himself with these difficulties: “I then went to the hussars, I thought that there was no need for subtleties,” but as it turned out, this is not so.

Over time, Nikolai becomes convinced that he made the right choice: “I know that I am no good for anything except military service; I am not a diplomat, not an official. "

During the Battle of Shengraben, Rostov gets his first wound: "The hand was like a stranger ... Captain, for God's sake, I was wounded in the arm," he said timidly. "

The first injury was a turning point in Rostov's consciousness - it is natural that he understood the fact that on the battlefield he could be killed or seriously injured, but only now he realizes this. Nicholas waited a long time for the start of the battle to "taste the delight of the attack." "Hurry up," he thinks. However, finding himself in a difficult position after being wounded, threatening to end in captivity, he flees.

Obtaining an officer rank

The zeal and efforts of Nicholas during the two battles did not pass by the eyes of the command - he was "assigned to the officer." In his letters home, Nikolai tries not to talk about the difficulties of military service, injuries - this would cause a lot of anxiety to his family. “A little wounded, but promoted to officer; he is now healthy, he writes himself ”- but even positive news causes tears - his family worries about him.

New military actions again become the cause of feelings and suffering, and meanwhile, pride for his family.

Nikolai takes part in the battle at Austerlitz. More successful this time. "Now he is a hussar lieutenant in a silver mantle, with a soldier's George."

In the future, career advancement for Nikolai is still rapid. In 1807, he was already a commander himself. Rostov notes that military service is pleasant to him, he is pleased to be here. "The regiment was also a home, and the home was invariably sweet and expensive, like the parent's home."

Rostov managed to gain respect from his colleagues. He achieved this unintentionally - humanity and courage did much more than the desire to be the favorite of the soldiers. Rostov "was loved and respected by his comrades, subordinates and superiors."

In 1812 Nicholas took an active part in the war with Napoleon. He receives the rank of captain. The battle of Ostrovno became significant for him: "Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his, which, to his surprise, acquired the St. George Cross for him and even made him a brave reputation."

With his army, Rostov managed to reach Paris. After the war, he was supposed to be promoted to commander, but this did not happen. Heartbroken and the loss of her youngest son, Countess Rostova opposes further service. This time Nikolai yields to his mother and “taking off his beloved uniform”, he masters a new position of an official.

What is Nikolai Rostov afraid of?

Reading about military service, battles, one gets the impression that Nikolai Rostov is not afraid of anything. However, it is not. No matter how great his fearlessness and courage, Rostov still has a feeling of fear.

This is especially pronounced in the first battle. It is here that we can compare Rostov's military skills with the achievements of other characters in the novel.

Nikolai is significantly inferior in intelligence to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, he is deprived of the compassionate skill of Pierre Bezukhov. Having lost his horse, having been wounded, Rostov is shy in front of the crowd of Frenchmen running towards him. At this moment, he realizes with horror that this running crowd wants to kill him "the one whom everyone loves so much." Fear "for his happy young life" takes over - Rostov forgets about everything in the world and instead of shooting at the approaching enemy, he throws his weapon at his opponents.

Perhaps this same fear was the reason that Nikolai yielded to his mother's persuasion to change military service to civilian. He realizes that his luck on the battlefield cannot be eternal, he has every chance of ending his life as sadly as Prince Andrew.

Nikolay and Maria Bolkonskaya

The marriage with Maria was extremely beneficial for the Rostov family - after the ruin, it would be an excellent opportunity to restore the family's financial independence, to bring it out of poverty. Nikolai has a feeling of sympathy for the girl, but he worries that those around him will perceive this event as a marriage of convenience: "I just disgust this idea, to marry for money." Since marriage on this principle is alien to Nikolai, he cares about his reputation, therefore, contrary to his feelings, he does not agree to his mother's persuasion about marriage with Bolkonskaya.

The situation changes after Nikolai learns that his feelings are mutual. "In the fall of 1814, Nikolai married Princess Marya and with his wife, mother and Sonya moved to live in Lysye Gory."

Princess Marie was not distinguished by the beauty and plasticity of her movements, her move was heavy, which was wildness for a young girl. Therefore, the question of Nicholas' love for Mary caused bewilderment for some time. Nikolai believes that his wife is a part of himself, like any part of his body. “Well, do I love my finger? I don’t love, but try, cut it off, ”he draws an analogy to explain his love for Mary.

Life with Mary, thanks to the kinship of their souls, became the cause of many happy moments for both spouses. They had three children in their marriage, Maria is expecting a fourth, but his birth is already hidden from the reader - the story of the novel ends earlier than the birth of a child.

Nikolai Rostov becomes a landowner

At the age of 35, Nikolai Rostov becomes the owner of a successful estate. "The rare owners had so early and well sown and harvested fields and as much income as Nikolai." He always reverently treats his peasants, encouraging in them the desire to acquire large families, feelings of kindness and honesty, hard work, and condemning lies and laziness. His serfs love him and consider him the ideal of the landowner. Nikolai Ilyich believes that it is necessary to achieve good results by setting real tasks and treating his subjects in a human way - his main goal is to create a stable economy that would ensure a happy and comfortable life for his children.

Thus, the personality of Nikolai Ilyich Rostov is multifaceted and unusual. He has talents in many things and is able to do well any job that he would not undertake. Thanks to his ability to analyze, be kind, sincere and responsive, he gains authority in any environment, be it a secular society, colleagues, or peasants.

Tolstoy's novel War and Peace is known to everyone. The events described in the book are captivating from the first minutes of reading. The author showed the complex world of human relationships, where many different names and destinies are closely intertwined. Among the heroes of the novel, I would like to mention Nikolai Rostov. He is the most soulful character.

The image and characterization of Nikolai Rostov in the novel "War and Peace" is the most organic of all. His whole life is shown at a glance, starting from the age of twenty, as he appears at the very beginning of the work and ending in adulthood, when he settled down and started a family, tying the knot with Marya Bolkonskaya.

Form

Nikolai is the son of Count Rostov. An enviable Moscow groom. Any girl would gladly accept his advances. Provided. Could afford to visit expensive clubs. He was a member of the English Club, where entry was ordered for mere mortals.

Nikolai is short. The guy's head is strewn with small curls. Outwardly, he was handsome. There was always a blush on her cheeks that gave her a shy look. An antennae began to appear above the lip.

“Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face. Black hair was already showing on his upper lip, and swiftness and enthusiasm were expressed in his entire face ... "

An open smile immediately won over those around him. Kindness shone in her eyes.

"His kind and honest eyes with tears coming out on them."

Cheerful, open-minded guy. That was how he was at twenty. A student at one of the universities, but the study had to be postponed until later. Nikolai decided to devote himself to military service.

Characteristic

The guy decided for himself that the service to the Fatherland is his vocation. The main concepts for him were honor and dignity, loyalty to the oath. He participated in many military campaigns. Took part in Patriotic War 1812 year. Only once did his act belittle in the eyes of his colleagues.

Shengraben battle... Nikolai rushed into the attack with all the swiftness characteristic of him. A minor wound knocked the fuse off. He started to panic. Thoughts were swirling in my head. He could not imagine that death was so close. Is he really going to die. This cannot be allowed, because he is loved by everyone. He cowardly ran away from the battlefield. Instead of firing a bullet at the enemy, he threw the pistol. The fear of dying so young was stronger than the fear of the enemy.

This did not happen again. Nikolai managed to become a real officer who remains faithful to his duty.

From his hobbies he preferred hunting. He was endowed with musical abilities.

Truth-lover, sincere.

"Rostov was a true young man; he would never deliberately tell a lie."

Tactful. Life taught Rostov to understand when and what to say. Words spoken in the heat of the moment can hurt loved ones, which happened during a quarrel with the father.

Proud, independent. Likes to rush from one extreme to another. Difficulty finding a middle ground in a dispute.

Reasonable.

"His soul is full of nobility, true youth, which you meet so rarely in our century."

Love in the life of Nikolai

For a long time Rostov had an affair with Sonya. He even considered marrying her, although his mother was categorically against it. The girl was a dowry. Why such a daughter-in-law. She's not a match for her son. Sonya herself turned out to be smarter, not becoming imposed on him. In a letter addressed to him, she said that she was ready to let him go. The relationship ended. Nikolai became free again.

The next woman in his life was Marya Bolkonskaya. Rich but unattractive to men. Nikolai was able to discern in her exactly inner worldand he was beautiful and clean. Their relationship developed difficult, but they managed to overcome all difficulties on the way to family happiness. Complementing each other, they were able to become a harmonious, happy couple. Nikolai became a respectable farmer, putting an end to his military service and completely devoting himself to caring for the family.

In the novel, he is positive character, who tends to be wrong and not always his actions can be called correct, but he was able to realize and correct everything.

Introduction

Leo Tolstoy in his epic portrayed more than 500 characters typical for Russian society. In War and Peace, the heroes of the novel are representatives of the upper class of Moscow and St. Petersburg, key statesmen and military leaders, soldiers, people from the common people, and peasants. The depiction of all strata of Russian society allowed Tolstoy to recreate an integral picture of Russian life at one of the turning points in Russian history - the era of the wars with Napoleon in 1805-1812.

In War and Peace, the characters are conventionally divided into main characters - whose fates are woven by the author into the narrative narrative of all four volumes and the epilogue, and minor ones - heroes who appear episodically in the novel. Among the main characters of the novel, one can single out the central characters - Andrei Bolkonsky, Natasha Rostova and Pierre Bezukhov, around whose destinies the events of the novel unfold.

Characteristics of the main characters of the novel

Andrey Bolkonsky - "a very handsome young man with definite and dry features", "small stature." The author acquaints the reader with Bolkonsky at the beginning of the novel - the hero was one of the guests at Anna Scherer's evening (which was also attended by many of the main characters of Tolstoy's novel War and Peace).

According to the plot of the work, Andrei was tired of high society, he dreamed of glory, no less glory than Napoleon, and therefore goes to war. The episode that turned Bolkonsky's worldview was a meeting with Bonaparte - Andrei, wounded on the Austerlitz field, realized how insignificant Bonaparte and all his glory really were. The second turning point in Bolkonsky's life is his love for Natasha Rostova. The new feeling helped the hero return to a full life, to believe that after the death of his wife and everything he had endured, he can continue to live fully. However, their happiness with Natasha was not destined to come true - Andrei was mortally wounded during the Battle of Borodino and soon died.

Natasha Rostova - a cheerful, kind, very emotional and loving girl: “black-eyed, with a big mouth, ugly, but alive”. An important feature of the image of the central heroine of "War and Peace" is her musical talent - a beautiful voice, which fascinated even people inexperienced in music. The reader meets Natasha on the girl's birthday, when she turns 12. Tolstoy depicts the heroine's moral maturation: love experiences, going out, Natasha's betrayal of Prince Andrei and her experiences because of this, her search for herself in religion and the turning point in the heroine's life - the death of Bolkonsky. In the epilogue of the novel, Natasha appears before the reader completely different - we are more likely to see the shadow of her husband, Pierre Bezukhov, rather than the bright, active Rostova, who a few years ago danced Russian dances and "won" carts for the wounded from her mother.

Pierre Bezukhov - "a massive, fat young man with a cropped head and glasses." "Pierre was somewhat larger than the other men in the room," he had "an intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural look that distinguished him from everyone else in this living room." Pierre is a hero who is in constant search for himself through knowledge of the world around him. Each situation in his life, each life stage became a special life lesson for the hero. Marriage to Helene, passion for Freemasonry, love for Natasha Rostova, presence on the battlefield of Borodino (which the hero sees through Pierre's eyes), French captivity and acquaintance with Karataev completely change Pierre's personality - a purposeful and self-confident man with own views and goals.

Other important characters

In War and Peace, Tolstoy conventionally identifies several blocks of characters - the Rostov, Bolkonsky, Kuragin families, as well as the characters who are part of the social circle of one of these families. Rostovs and Bolkonskys as goodies, bearers of a truly Russian mentality, ideas and spirituality, are contrasted with the negative characters Kuragin, who had little interest in the spiritual aspect of life, preferring to shine in society, weave intrigues and choose acquaintances according to their status and wealth. To better understand the essence of each main character will help a brief description of heroes of "War and Peace".

Graph Ilya Andreevich Rostov - a kind and generous man for whom the most important thing in his life was family. The count sincerely loved his wife and four children (Natasha, Vera, Nikolai and Petya), helped his wife in raising children and with all his might he maintained a warm atmosphere in the Rostovs' house. Ilya Andreevich cannot live without luxury, he liked to arrange magnificent balls, receptions and evenings, but his wastefulness and inability to manage household affairs ultimately led to the critical financial situation of the Rostovs.
Countess Natalya Rostova is a 45-year-old woman with oriental features, who knows how to make an impression in high society, the wife of Count Rostov, and the mother of four children. The Countess, like her husband, was very fond of her family, trying to support the children and bring up the best qualities in them. Due to excessive love for children, after the death of Petya, the woman almost goes crazy. In the countess, kindness to those close to her was combined with prudence: wishing to improve the financial situation of the family, the woman was trying with all her might to upset Nikolai's marriage to the “unprofitable bride” Sonya.

Nikolay Rostov - "a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression." This is an innocent, open, honest and benevolent young man, brother of Natasha, the eldest son of the Rostovs. At the beginning of the novel, Nikolai appears as an admired young man who wants military glory and recognition, but after participating first in the Battle of Shengrabesk, and then in the Battle of Austerlitz and the Patriotic War, Nikolai's illusions are dispelled and the hero realizes how absurd and wrong the very idea of \u200b\u200bwar is. Nikolai finds personal happiness in marriage with Marya Bolkonskaya, in which he felt a close-minded person even at the first meeting.

Sonya Rostova - "a thin, petite brunette with a soft, shaded long eyelashes look, a thick black braid, twice wrapped around her head, and a yellowish tint of skin on her face," the niece of Count Rostov. According to the plot of the novel, this is a quiet, reasonable, kind girl, who knows how to love and is prone to self-sacrifice. Sonya refuses Dolokhov, since she wants to be faithful only to Nikolai, whom she sincerely loves. When the girl finds out that Nikolai is in love with Marya, she resignedly lets him go, not wanting to hinder the happiness of her beloved.

Nikolay Andreevich Bolkonsky - prince, retired general-ashef. This is a proud, intelligent, strict man of short stature "with small dry hands and drooping gray eyebrows, sometimes, as he frowned, overshadowed the shine of intelligent and like young shiny eyes." Deep down, Bolkonsky loves his children very much, but does not dare to show it (only before his death he could show his love to his daughter). Nikolai Andreevich died from a second blow while in Bogucharovo.

Marya Bolkonskaya - quiet, kind, meek, prone to self-sacrifice and sincerely loving her family. Tolstoy describes her as a heroine with “an ugly weak body and a thin face,” but “the princess’s eyes, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so good that very often, despite the ugliness of everything faces, these eyes became more attractive than beauty. " The beauty of Marya's eyes afterwards struck Nikolai Rostov. The girl was very devout, devoted all of herself to caring for her father and nephew, then redirecting her love to her own family and husband.

Helen Kuragina - a bright, brilliantly beautiful woman with a "unchanging smile" and full white shoulders, who liked male society, Pierre's first wife. Helene was not distinguished by a special mind, however, thanks to her charm, ability to keep herself in society and establish the necessary connections, she arranged her own salon in St. Petersburg, was personally acquainted with Napoleon. The woman died of severe sore throat (although there were rumors in society that Helene had committed suicide).

Anatol Kuragin - Helen's brother, as handsome in appearance and noticeable in high society as his sister. Anatole lived the way he wanted, discarding all moral principles and foundations, arranged drunkenness and fights. Kuragin wanted to steal Natasha Rostova and marry her, although he was already married.

Fedor Dolokhov - "a man of average height, curly and with bright eyes", an officer of the Semenovsky regiment, one of the leaders of the partisan movement. In the personality of Fedor, selfishness, cynicism and adventurism are surprisingly combined with the ability to love and care for their loved ones. (Nikolai Rostov is very surprised that at home, with his mother and sister, Dolokhov is completely different - a loving and gentle son and brother).

Conclusion

Even short description heroes of "War and Peace" by Tolstoy allows you to see the close and inextricable relationship of the fate of the characters. Like all events in the novel, the characters' meetings and farewells take place according to the irrational, elusive law of historical mutual influences. It is these incomprehensible mutual influences that create the fate of the heroes and shape their views on the world.

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